Trolling is a popular and effective fishing technique which generally involves marine a vessel to pull a fishing bait, such as a baited hook or a lure, through the water at the end of a fishing line to attract and catch fish. Typically, the fishing line is a length of line which has been paid out from a fishing reel mounted on a fishing rod. Forward motion of the vessel drags the trolled bait though the water causing the bait to simulate the movement of a relatively slow swimming prey, thereby making the bait attractive to fish. After a fish strikes the bait and becomes hooked, the rod and reel are used to reel in the line to point where the fish can be brought aboard the vessel.
Anglers can increase the probability of success by trolling multiple lines from a boat simultaneously. When trolling with multiple fishing lines, it is desirable to keep the lines spatially separated from one another to cover a larger potential fishing area and to prevent the lines from becoming entangled with one another or with the rigging, superstructure, engine and/or propeller of the vessel itself. However, since the width, or “beam” of any given vessel is limited, so too is the number of fishing lines which can be trailed from the vessel without undue risk of becoming entangled. Although a fishing rod can be positioned so that the tip of the rod reaches out over the water to the port or starboard of the vessel, the benefit of doing so is limited by the length of the fishing rod. Since they are subjected to significant forces due to the hydraulic drag associated with trolling a bait, not to mention the forces generated when attempting to bring in a large and powerful fish, trolling rods tend to stout but relatively short, especially the type of rods used for trolling for saltwater game fish.
Outrigger poles are devices which can be mounted to a vessel and used in conjunction with a fishing rod and reel to increase the spatial separation between trolling lines and/or to increase the number of fishing lines which can be trolled with sufficient separation. An outrigger pole is an elongated structure of significantly greater overall length than a typical fishing rod. When in use, one end of the outrigger pole is secured on or adjacent the vessel while its distal end is positioned over the water a substantially greater distance away from the vessel than could be reached from the vessel with the tip of the fishing rod by itself. Outrigger poles of between ten and thirty feet in overall length are common. Outrigger poles are sometimes provided with a supporting cable structure so they can be long yet relatively light in weight without breaking under the stresses they are routinely subjected to due to their own weight as well due to the motion of the vessel, waves and wind. Since they are supported from only one end when in use, outrigger poles are generally designed to be at least somewhat flexible, allowing them to bend somewhat under load rather than cracking or buckling as would be the tendency of a rigid structure. The fishing line paid out from the tip of the fishing rod is releasably suspended from the outrigger pole so that the trailing length of the fishing line which terminates in the bait, is pulled through the water from a point that is located above the surface of the water and is laterally spaced further from the longitudinal centerline of the vessel a further distance beyond the port or starboard side of the vessel than could ordinarily be reached using the fishing rod alone. When trolling a fishing line with the aid of an outrigger pole, it is desirable to maintain the outrigger pole at an elevated angle so that the tip of the extended, pole does not dip into the water, even if the vessel would happen to roll somewhat under the influence of wind and/or waves.
Aluminum, which is preferably anodized, powder coated, or otherwise finished to resist corrosion, is a common material of which at least the longitudinal main body of outrigger poles can be made. However, they can also be constructed from graphite, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, such as for example the para-aramid fiber commercially available from E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Del. under their registered trademark Kevlar® and other synthetic and/or composite materials. Also, although it is common to make the longitudinal body of outrigger poles in a single, one-piece section, multiple longitudinal sections, that can be connected to one another, either detachably, or substantially permanently, are often used to form the longer units. Multi-section, telescoping outrigger poles are also known. These include two or more individual unitary longitudinal body sections, at least one of which is hollow and of sufficient internal diameter to allow at least most of the length of one or more of the other sections to be collapsibly received inside for convenient transit or storage but can be telescopingly extended to a significantly greater overall length for use are also known.
To use an outrigger, the free end of a fishing line paid out from a reel mounted on a fishing rod is attached to a lure, or otherwise suitably baited with a live or artificial bait appropriate to the targeted species of fish. The bait is cast or dropped into the water from the moving vessel and fishing line is paid out until a desired length of line, typically anywhere from about fifteen yards to several hundred yards, lies between the bait and the moving vessel, at which point the reel engaged and the drag setting of the reel is adjusted to a force that is at least high enough to allow the vessel to tow the bait without paying out more line unless a fish were to later strike and create enough total tension on the line to overcome the drag setting of the reel. The fishing line at a point a relatively short distance from the tip of the fishing rod is then detachably secured to an outrigger pole in a deployed position by way of a releasable clip. The clip is securely attached to the outrigger pole by way of a loop of line which is routed along the length of the outrigger pole by way of one or more pulleys and/or eyelets, in a manner similar to the line used to run a flag up and down on a flagpole. Pulling the loop for one side or the other allows the releasable clip to be run in to an inboard or nearly inboard location to allow the fishing line to be attached to the releasable clip without requiring an angler or crew member to lean precariously out over the water in order to make that connection and thereafter run out along the outrigger pole to the distal end, or any other location along the length of the outrigger pole which might be desired for trolling the baited fishing line. Some outrigger poles have provisions for trolling multiple fishing lines simultaneously from different locations on the same outrigger. Once a fish strikes, the resulting additional tension on the fishing line pulls the fishing line free of the releasable clip, and thus completely free of the outrigger pole, allowing the angler to attempt to reel in the fish conventionally using the rod and reel in the conventional way.
An outrigger pole must be mounted securely. When in a deployed position, orienting the longitudinal axis of the outrigger pole at an angle near ninety degrees (90°), to the longitudinal centerline of the vessel will provide the maximum separation distance between the vessel and a trolled line but any position at which the distal end of the outrigger pole is sufficiently above the water and clear of the vessel that it can be used for trolling in a practical manner may serve as a deployed position. It is common to equip a vessel with more than one outrigger. For example, providing a vessel with a pair of outrigger poles, one deployable to extend outboard of the port side of a marine vessel, another deployable to extend outboard from its starboard side, is a popular configuration which provides trolling coverage over a swath of fishing area that is substantially wider than the vessel itself and extends on one or both sides of the vessel. It will be appreciated that one very significant benefit of using outriggers is energy efficiency. Since trolling is carried out while a vessel is being driven under power and consuming fuel, equipping the vessel with an outrigger or outriggers allows larger area to be fished per mile of travel of the vessel and thus, per unit of fuel consumed by the vessel. Concomitantly, the emission of pollutants and greenhouse gasses by the vessel is also reduced.
Particularly when a vessel is near a dock, in a harbor or anywhere other than relatively open water, an outrigger pole in a deployed position can present difficulties and hazards, even if a vessel is stationary but particularly while a vessel is underway. The elevation of the pole reduces the overall clearance to overhead obstacles, such as bridges. A deployed outrigger pole also requires a wide clearance to the side of the boat. When navigating in narrow channels or near dockside, or in the vicinity of other vessels, sufficient clearance may not be available. Accordingly, it is important to have the capability of bringing the outrigger pole to a “rigged-in”, or stowed position, preferably one in which little, if any, of the outrigger projects a significant distance out over the water away from the vessel and in which the highest point on the outrigger pole is at a sufficiently low elevation as not to restrict the ability of the vessel to pass safely beneath bridges, overhanging trees, suspended electric cables or other overhead obstacles. Preferably though not necessarily, the stowed position is one in which the longitudinal axis of the outrigger pole will be oriented horizontally or at a relatively low elevational angle.
It is also desirable to be able to position, or reposition the outrigger pole quickly, safely and without undue effort. Only if an outrigger pole can be deployed rapidly from a stowed position will a crew be able to take fullest advantage of the sudden identification of fish in an area. Conversely, the ability to rig in an outrigger from a deployed position to a stowed position quickly is important for example in the so-called “run and gun” technique popular in tournament fishing where success hinges on the ability to try a fishing spot but abandon it and move on as fast as possible to a different fishing ground if the present one is determined to be unproductive. Rigging in quickly is important also to allow anglers on open water to reduce the risk of lightning strikes and flee approaching storms with a minimum of delay. Scenarios such as rounding a bend and suddenly finding one's vessel rapidly closing on a low bridge, oncoming vessel or other obstacle may require rigging in an outrigger quickly to avoid an accident. It is also desirable that re-positioning an outrigger pole from one deployed position to another should not require undue time, effort or safety risk.
For safety and ease of use, it is also desirable that the positioning of the outrigger pole can be performed by a person from a safe and convenient location. For example, it is preferable that stowing, deploying or repositioning not require leaning over the side of the vessel as doing so might expose personnel to a risk of falling overboard.
Despite being relatively light in weight, the mass of an outrigger pole is not insignificant and loss of control over the outrigger pole could give rise to substantial safety hazards. Particularly when a vessel is underway or even static under rough weather condition, an outrigger pole may experience a number of significant external forces. The movement of the vessel and/or any prevailing wind act to exert a wind drag force on the outrigger pole when the outrigger pole is in the fully deployed position. The fishing line and bait also exerts a force on the outrigger pole due to hydraulic drag resulting from the vessel trolling them through the water. It is desirable that an outrigger apparatus firmly maintain the position of the outrigger pole, regardless of whether the outrigger pole is in a stowed position, or a deployed position so that the outrigger pole does not swing about, drop or otherwise change position unexpectedly, thus and become damaged and/or cause injury to persons and/or damage to the vessel an/or other property. For similar reasons, the position of the outrigger pole should be maintained under positive control while the outrigger pole is in the process of being repositioned.